Knitting

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Giveaway: The Very Easy Guide to Fair Isle Knitting

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fair isle giveaway

Melody is our winner!

I have been cleaning up my office recently and I moved my pile of giveaway books from one shelf to another and this book ended up on top, which is reason enough to give it away this week.

The Very Easy Guide to Fair Isle Knitting by Lynne Watterson is an easy-entry, step-by-step guide to getting stranded knitting, covering everything from yarn choices to working with two colors in a row, ribbing in two colors and classic fair isle patterns.

It also includes 11 patterns for things such as fingerless mitts, a beret, a bag and pillows, which you can work through to learn the concepts and design principles behind stranded knitting. If you used this book as a workbook, you would definitely get comfortable with fair isle quickly. And isn’t summer (or winter for that matter) the perfect time to learn something new?

If you want a chance to win this book, leave a comment on this post before the end of the day Sunday, June 28. I’d love to know if you have any big plans for the coming season, wherever on earth you happen to live. We’re holding out until the end of next month, then spending what’s sure to be a fabulous week in Florida.

Thanks for visiting, commenting and sharing, and good luck!

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Comments

  1. Going camping next month, live in Minnesota. Otherwise spending the summer with my currently one month old till I go back to work.

  2. At the beginning of every summer, we take out a three-month membership to our local country club and swim there in the early mornings before the crowds arrive.

  4. Fair Isle an an adventure I’d love to enjoy…. The family has a couple of hurdles to jump Myself and Hubby have had gallbladder surgery 3 weeks apart… Gall bladder less …. Planning an August Camping trip, just found out our daughter has a baby due date the same weekend… May be greeting a new lil one that weekend. But for sure taking a road trip to Texas for a nephew’s wedding in November….Life is always an adventure, may take a day trip to a few wineries in the local area…. Thank you for sharing your Fair Isle adventure!!

  5. My kids are bring the grandsons for a visit! I would love to learn how to do fair isle knitting!

  6. That book souns wonderful! I am planning to finish some wips this summer and to prepare for a fall knitting retreat!

  7. No plans as of yet, it is very hot here, so we are trying to stay cool… might plan something towards the end of the season.

  8. Planning on spending the 100+ degree days inside, possibly in the basement where it’s cooler! Also hoping to go on several camping trips.

  9. I’d love to get a better understanding of fair isle. My past attempts have been less than stellar, I’m afraid. We aren’t going anywhere special this summer, but the kids and I are enjoying the weather!

    I’m vernalequinox on Ravelry!

  10. I think the hardest part is getting the tension even. That and finding the right colors.

  11. I’m going to northern Maine for a couple of days and going to Florida for a few days.

  12. I have yet to find a guide to how to change colors when knitting in the round except to carry my yarn!!

  13. Pretty low key summer here – Our biggest short term plan is to hit the pick your own strawberry fields this week.

  14. Just discovered your website and I am enjoying it very much. I love the Fair Isle Knitting book. Hope I win. My daughter and I love to try new things.

  15. No big exciting plans. I’m enjoying the local berry season and hoping not to melt in this weekend’s heatwave.

  16. I have just started doing Fair Isle and I am hooked on it. Thank you for this opportunity

  18. I plan on organizing my yarn once and for all, and getting it catalogued, since it’s a bit out of control right now. That book would come in so handy, since I’ve wanted to be able to try that style of knitting for years, and know that I have plenty of colorways to be able to make items in those patterns. It couldn’t have come along at a better time!! Thank you for a chance to win a copy!! It would really come in handy, and be a welcomed addition to my library.

Have you read?

Felted Bag Knitting Patterns

I feel like felting is a knitting genre that deserves a resurgence. My first knitting book (which came out in 2008, eek!) was all about felting, but I don’t feel like there are a lot of felting knitting projects out there these days. I really like the technique as an easy way to make a thicker, more durable knit fabric, and it’s actually perfect for knitting bags.

The ZZ Bag from yamagara recently caught my eye and got me thinking about felted bags, and maybe remaking one of the bags that was in that book. This one has a fun zigzag pattern and is worked in worsted weight yarn. You can find the pattern on Ravelry.

A lot of the other knit and felted bag patterns I could find were older, but that doesn’t make them bad patterns. I’ve always loved the booga bag from Black Sheep Bags (the pattern is on their website but the photo is broken so you can also check it out on Ravelry). This is a fun one because you can use all your leftovers or a self-striping yarn (the original was made with Noro) to give it a colorful look that’s super easy to knit. 

An envelope purse is another easy shape to knit, and this version from Lavender Hill Knits on Etsy comes in different sizes for younger girls and teens or adults. The small version is worked with one strand of worsted weight yarn, while the larger uses two held together.

The Japanese knot bag is a classic, and a felted version is a lot of fun. You can find this pattern from Cindy Pilon on Ravelry and knit one for yourself using bulky yarn. I also love her bag The Curve, which is also on Ravelry and has a fun rounded shape and contrasting handles.

And there’s also the amazing stained glass bag from Knitting Dream, which also uses a Noro yarn, but you could use wool scraps on the different fans to give it a unique look. There are two size options to choose from and it’s not as tricky as it looks.